The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-11
WHY Murder ia Common.


The minister who officiated ut the funeral
of the murdered Voolfolk family in Macon,
on Sunday last, seized the occasion TO point
out the failure of the law to prevent muir
der. He said that there were too many
loopholes by which murderers might escape
punishment, and that as long as this was
true murders would continue to be numer-
Gus. Illustrating the ease with which those
who maliciously take human life escape pun
ishment, he said that he once heard a young
man repeat the advice given him by dis
tinguished lawyer, namely: "lf ever you
find that you must have a personal collision
with man, get one point of the law on
your side and then kill him"
1t is useless to deny the frequency of
murder. Scarcely q day passes but that
from one to half dozen are recorded in
the newspapers No part of the country is
exempt; for the papers of the North and
West, as well as those of the South, often
contain the horrible details of atrocious
murders committed in their respective sec
tions. 1t is seldom that the perpetrators
escape arrest but those that are adequately
punished are few in number. The minister
who stood among the collins of the muir
dered WOolfoIks and declared that there
were too many loopholes by which murder
crs might escape punishment told the truth,
and he also told the truth when he said that
as long as this was true murders would con
tinue to be numerous.
The value of the advice given by the dis
tingushed lawyer to the young man men
L,y tbo f,,Il
ciatcd by the man who, when he saw
friend engaged in an angry controversy
with another, cried: make him strike you
and then kill hint" 1t is lamentabie con-
dition of affairs when, with single trivial
point of the law on his side, man may
commit murder with impunity. 1t is a still
more lamentable condition OF affairs when,
without just provocation, man may take
the life of another and yet go unpublished.
Time and again have both these conditions
prevailed in this country, SO that instead of
preventing murder, as it was meant to %,
the law frequently does not even cause the
hand to hesitate that is about to commit a
cruel and dreadful crime
A police official who has devoted nearly
ali his life to the supervision of the criminal
classes, recently made this statement h:
''There are those who say that the publica-
ton of the details of murders in the news
papers leads to other similar crimes. This
is a mistake. The reason why so many
murders are committed is because the news
papers do not often publish the details of
the conviction and punishment of the per-
petrators. OF course, the newspapers
would publish these detailsif they were OBJ
tainable. Unfortunately the courts seldom
convict murderers, and the newspapers are
forced to publish the details of acquittals
when for the good of the country they
should be able to publish the details of hang
ings. l have repeatedly been told by muir
derers that they would not have stained
their hands with blood if they had believed
that their necks would be in danger =
Testimony like this cannot be successfully
refuted. Murders are frequent because the
law is not properly enforced.
In Georgia it is time for change for the
the better 1t is well known that unpro-
voked murders have recently frequently
disgraced the State. This is a plain state
ment, but it admits of no contradiction.
There are men in Georgia, guilty OF foul
murder, who walk abroad when and where
| they please because the courts failed to dc
their plain duty. In future such shame
full thing should be impossible. The better
element in every community should insist
upon the rigid enforcement of the law
Judges and solicitors and sheriffs alone dc
not constitute the courts. Juries are vitality
important parts of them. Juries convict
or acquit. In order that they may render
efficient service they should be composed of
the best citizens, and to this end such citi
zens should not avoid jury duty. Let the
needed change come, and let it come
quickly; for when it is known that the law
cannot be violated with impunity the dread
| full crime of murder will cease to be SO
alarmingly common.